


love is complicated (except it really isn't)

by Ahria



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Late Night Conversations, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-28 02:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/669085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahria/pseuds/Ahria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gourry reflects on his reasons for spending the week with Kuppi and her children.  Pokota is not impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	love is complicated (except it really isn't)

**Author's Note:**

> Set after s5e4, "QUALITY TIME? A loving life?". 
> 
> While I thought that episode was one of the funniest in the whole series, I wanted to explore some of the emotional stuff. It's a little more emo then I intended and might even be a little OOC.

Gourry tossed another log on the fire.  Pokota sighed wearily and disentangled himself from Amelia’s arms.  With a single hop, he was resting on the swordsman’s shoulder.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

Pokota nodded an affirmation and settled himself comfortably.  They sat in a companionable silence for a while before the small creature spoke.

“What’s the real reason you stayed with that fish lady all week?”

“I felt bad for her.”

Pokota smirked. “I think you were just trying to punish Lina.”

“It wasn’t like that!” Gourry said, remembering at the last moment to drop his voice.  He glanced over at Lina, asleep on the other side of the fire.  She was snoring soundly, blanket clutched to her chin.  He smiled softly and pulled his attention back to the conversation at hand.  “I was just messing around with her at first.  She’s funny when she’s mad.”

“At first?” the boy repeated.

“Lina didn’t seem to care that and it was nice to feel needed.” Gourry finished, shrugging his free shoulder.

“So why don’t you just tell her how you feel?”

“I have, in my own way.”

“Really?” Pokota demanded.  “You’ve said ‘Lina, I love you’?”

“She knows.” Gourry insisted.

“Doubtful.” The boy snorted.  “You’re both idiots.”

Gourry chuckled and simply shook his head.  He’d told Lina a long time ago that he was going to protect her for the rest of his life.  Men didn’t make offers like that to just anyone.  Lina was the smartest person he had ever met.  There was no way she didn’t understand.  It wasn’t his fault she hadn’t seemed to take him seriously. 

That confession and the surrounding few months had made him feel like they were close to something.  Then he’d been kidnapped and rescued.  A stranger wearing Lina’s body had tried to take her away and he had chased her.

After that, something had changed.  Distance had formed between them, pushing them further and further apart.  He wished he remembered more of that time.  At least then he’d know if this was his fault.

He felt trapped in the situation now.  If he tried again or pushed Lina at all, it could end poorly.  When Kuppi had come along and dragged them into the most ridiculous situation to ever exist, he figured Lina’s reaction would give him some clue into what was going on between them.

She hadn’t even been able to admit they were friends, let alone anything else.  He’d only been able to stare at her while she stuttered her way through denials, too disappointed and hurt to say anything.

“Why do adults have to complicate everything?” Pokota wondered, interrupting Gourry’s train of thought.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Gourry replied with a smile.  The boy huffed in annoyance.

“Just so you know, she was angry the entire time you were gone.  She was still in total denial but I don’t think she was going to let you stay.”

Unsure how to respond to that, he just nodded as he absorbed the information.

Pokota shook his head, still frustrated and glanced over at Lina, wondering when she’d stopped snoring.


End file.
